FR3062846A1 - CONTROL GATEWAY BETWEEN AN AVIONIC COMPONENT AND A MOBILE DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a control gateway for controlling a display synchronization between an avionic component (1) and a mobile device (5), said gateway (7) being configured on the one hand, to control any avionics page current (9) from the avionics component (1) before transmitting the page controlled, said current page validated (11) to the mobile device (5) for it to be displayed and secondly, to control on the basis of the current validated page (11), any key command (13) from the mobile device (5) before transmitting or not transmitting said key command to the avionics component (1).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of intervention or maintenance on an aircraft and more particularly, the offset of an avionics component from the cockpit to carry out maintenance operations.

PRIOR STATE OF THE ART

In general, an aircraft comprises a centralized monitoring system intended to record data relating to alerts or failures detected on the aircraft, as well as information originating from the avionics systems of the aircraft. This centralized system is connected to one or more avionics component (s) installed in the cockpit of the aircraft. Each avionics component usually comprises a man-machine interface comprising a screen and control buttons and the configuration of which generally depends on the type or options of the aircraft.

During an intervention or execution of maintenance tasks on an aircraft on the ground, the maintenance operator must access the cockpit to consult pages on the screen of the avionic component and for example to manipulate buttons activating mechanisms which may find it outside the aircraft. This intervention may require several round trips between the cockpit and the outside of the aircraft and / or cooperation between an operator who remains in the cockpit and another outside the aircraft. All these intrusions into the cockpit can annoy pilots and lengthen the intervention time. In addition, they require the availability of cockpit equipment (screens, buttons, etc.) for the maintenance operator.

The object of the present invention is therefore to simplify the maintenance operations on the aircraft without disturbing the pilots while reducing the duration of the intervention or the number of speakers.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a control gateway intended to control a display synchronization between an avionics component and a mobile device, said gateway being configured on the one hand to control any current avionics page originating from the avionics component before transmitting the controlled page, said validated current page to the mobile device so that it is displayed there and on the other hand to control, on the basis of the validated current page, any key command originating from the mobile device before transmitting or not transmitting said command key to the avionics component.

This allows the interface of the avionics component to be moved to the mobile device by securing and adapting the display synchronization between the avionics component and the mobile device. In fact, in the prior art, the equipment and screens of the cockpit of an aircraft cannot be accessed from outside the cockpit. Thus, the present invention allows the operator to have more mobility to carry out maintenance operations safely without disturbing the pilots, while minimizing the intervention time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other particularities and advantages of the system and the method according to the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description given below, by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a control gateway intended to control a display synchronization between an avionics component and a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a control gateway, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

- Fig. 3 illustrates an example of an interface of the avionics component;

- Fig. 4 schematically illustrates an example of a page defined in the tree structure of the state machine, according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Fig. 5 very schematically illustrates a method implementing a display synchronization control between an avionics component and a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Figs. 6A-6D schematically illustrate different scenarios for controlling a current avionics page, according to an embodiment of the invention; and

- Fig. 7 schematically illustrates an avionics element comprising the control gateway, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The principle of the invention consists in synchronizing a mobile device in a secure manner with an avionics component of the aircraft.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a control gateway intended to control a display synchronization between an avionics component and a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the invention.

In general, an aircraft comprises a centralized monitoring system intended to record data relating to alerts, failures or anomalies detected on the aircraft during the various flights, as well as the information obtained from the avionic systems. This centralized monitoring system is connected to one or more equipment (s) installed in the cockpit of the aircraft and intended for maintenance or for other avionic functions. In the following, the avionics component refers by way of example to an avionics maintenance system installed in the cockpit.

The avionics component 1 comprises a man-machine interface 3 comprising a screen 31 and a keyboard and / or control buttons 33. The screen 31 is intended to display pages comprising information on the functions or commands of the various control buttons 33 as well as useful information for maintenance or other interventions.

The mobile device 5 is a portable computer or a tablet usually comprising a screen 51 and a physical or virtual keyboard comprising control keys 53.

According to the invention, the control gateway 7 is intended to control a bidirectional transfer of data between the avionics component 1 and the mobile device 5. More particularly, in the direction of data transfer from the avionics component 1 to the mobile device 5, the control gateway 7 is configured to control or filter any current avionics page 9 coming from the avionics component 1. The current avionics page 9 once checked or filtered is called in the following, validated current page 11. The latter is then transmitted to the mobile device 5 so that it is displayed on its screen 51. It will be noted that the validated current page 11 may be identical to the current avionics page 9 or different from the latter depending on the predetermined rules. For example, for security reasons, some control keys may be unauthorized from outside the cockpit.

In the opposite direction of data transfer (ie from the mobile device 5 to the avionics component 1), the control gateway 7 is configured to control, on the basis of the validated current page 11, any key command 13 from the mobile device 5 before transmitting or not transmitting the key command 13 to the avionics component 1. Indeed, if a command key is defined in the validated current page 11 as being unauthorized, then the command of this key n 'is not transmitted to the avionics component 1 even if the operator has pressed this key.

It will be noted that the mobile device 5 comprises a standard transmission-reception application enabling it to receive pages and to transmit key commands.

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a control gateway, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The control gateway 7 advantageously comprises a state machine 15 configured to be in a current state among a set of predetermined states and organized according to a state graph or tree structure 16. The state machine 15 is further configured to modify its current state as a function of the current avionics page 11 coming from the avionics component 1 and from the command 13 of keys coming from the mobile device 5.

For example, the predetermined set of states is organized according to a tree structure 16 comprising a root, internal nodes and leaves. The example in Fig. 2 illustrates a tree structure 16 for starting comprising a root associated with a main group Gl comprising two pages PI and P2. The internal nodes are here organized according to two levels. The first level is associated with first and second secondary groups G2 and G3 comprising the pages Pli, P12 and P21, P22 respectively. The second level is associated with unit pages Plll, P121 and P221. Finally, the sheets correspond to final actions or final tests E indicating the end of the tree structure. The current state of the state machine is hereinafter called “current expected page” 17. The command keys generate either new menus (ie new pages) or end of action pages. Thus, on each branch of the tree, the menus are linked until we arrive at an end of action page.

It will be noted that the pages belonging to the same group can represent equivalent pages but representative of different types of avionic components. For example, when a current avionics page can correspond to several pages of the same group, the control gateway 7 will test the different pages in the same group to find the one which is most suitable for the current avionics page 11.

Furthermore, the example of FIG. 2 shows that the pages PI and P2 of the main group Gl are linked to the first G2 and second G3 secondary groups respectively. The second page P2 is also linked to a final action. The first page Pli of the first secondary group G2 is linked to a single page Pl11 which in turn is linked to two final actions. The second page P12 of the first secondary group G2 is linked on the one hand to a final action and on the other hand to a single page P121 which in turn is linked to two final actions. The first page P21 of the second secondary group G3 is linked on the one hand to a final action and on the other hand to a single page P221 which in turn is linked to two final actions. The second page P22 of the second secondary group G3 is linked only to a final action.

The links between the different nodes of the tree structure 16 are activated by the control keys 53 of the mobile device 5. Indeed, the navigation of the state machine 15 from page to page in the tree structure 16 is driven by the command d 'a key from the mobile device 5. The state machine 15 comprises for example a pointer which changes position according to the command from the mobile device 5. Furthermore, the movement from page to page belonging to the same group of pages of the tree structure 16 results from the search by the control gateway 7 for the page most suited to the current avionics page 11 originating from the avionics component 1.

The tree structure 16 is defined in a configuration file 19 intended to configure the state machine 15. Advantageously, this configuration file 19 generically comprises all the pages and possible actions of all the options or versions of the avionic component 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates an example of an interface of the avionics component. This avionics interface 3 comprises an avionics screen 31 and six control buttons L1 to L6 on the left of the screen 31 and six control buttons RI to R6 on the right of the screen 31. The avionics screen 31 displays an avionics page comprising a title as well as a set of texts or command labels indicating the functions or commands of the various buttons L1-L6 and R1-R6. In addition, the avionics interface 3 comprises below the screen 31 an input area 35 as well as three other buttons 37a-37c intended to activate the passage to a next page, the deletion of the last character entered and the initialization. of the screen 31. It will be noted that the current page displayed on the avionics screen 31 represents the current avionics page sent to the control gateway 7. The example of the avionics page shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to an initialization page PO at the start of the avionic component 1.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates an example of a page defined in the tree structure of the state machine, according to an embodiment of the invention.

The page P defined in the state machine 15 includes text or labels designating six control keys LU to L16 on the left of the page P and six control keys R11 to R16 on the right of the page P. Furthermore, the page P also includes a title and an arrow indicating that there is a next page in the same group.

The control gateway 7 is configured to compare the labels of command keys L11-L16 and R11-R16 of the current expected page of the state machine with the corresponding command labels L1-L6 and R1-R6 of the current avionics page as well. that possibly the respective titles of the two pages.

It will be noted that in particular embodiments, the state machine can also test information texts which can be arranged between the labels of the keys or between the lines of the labels of the keys or anywhere on the screen, when the page contains such texts.

Fig. 5 very schematically illustrates a method implementing a display synchronization control between an avionics component and a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Step E0 is an initialization step in which the control gateway 7 transmits to the mobile device 5 an avionics initialization page PO (see Fig. 3) from the avionics component 1. In fact, as soon as the avionics component 1 is lit, a default initialization page is displayed.

In step E1, the state machine 15 moves into a position in the tree structure 16 corresponding to a current expected page 17.

In step E2, the control gateway 7 is configured to control a current avionics page 9 coming from the avionics component 1. More particularly, the control gateway is configured to compare the current avionics page 9 with the current expected page 17 of the state machine 15. The control gateway 7 forms the validated current page 11 on the basis of this comparison and according to the predetermined rules (see Figs. 6A-6D). For example, the validated current page 11 can indicate command keys not authorized for the operator of the mobile device 5.

In step E3, the control gateway 7 is configured to transmit the validated current page 11 to the mobile device 5 so that it is displayed on its screen 51.

In step E4, the control gateway 7 is configured to control any key command coming from the mobile device 5. More particularly, the step

E4 is a test where the control gateway 7 checks whether a key command 13 received from the mobile device 5 complies with the validated current page 11 which has been transmitted to it. If yes, go to step E5 and if not, go to step E8.

In step E5, the control gateway 7 is configured to transmit the current key command 13 to the avionic component 1 because it has been verified (in step E4) in accordance with the validated current page 11.

Step E6 is another test where the control gateway 7 checks whether the command 13 for the current key received from the mobile device 5 drives the state machine 15 to a sub page of menus (ie a new page) or to a page of final action. If the current key command leads to a new page, then we loop back to step El where the state machine 15 is driven to another current state corresponding to a new current expected page or in certain cases (see FIG. 6B). , the state machine 15 remains on the same page. Otherwise, that is to say, if the current key command 13 results in a final action page, then we go to the end of process state E7.

Step E8 corresponds to the case where the key command 13 has been verified in step E4 as being not in conformity with the validated current page 11. Then, the control gateway 7 does not transmit the current key command 13 to the component avionics 1 and the current state of the state machine 15 remains unchanged. In this case, we loop back to step E4 where the control gateway 7 waits for another key command from the mobile device 5.

The control gateway 7 thus makes it possible to filter certain information in the current avionics page 9 before transmitting it to the mobile device 5. It also makes it possible to block command keys as a function of the current avionics page 9 in order to prohibit certain actions users of the mobile device 5.

Figs. 6A-6D schematically illustrate different scenarios for controlling a current avionics page, according to an embodiment of the invention.

The control is based on a mechanism for comparing the current avionics page 9 with the expected page 17 by the state machine 15. This mechanism makes it possible to authorize or block a key command 13 from the mobile device 5 and to modify the current avionics page 9 by forming a validated current page 11 indicating the blocked keys. Thus, it is the control gateway 7 which associates or does not associate a function with each control key.

Fig. 6A illustrates the filtering of a current avionics page 9 with respect to a corresponding expected page 17. More particularly, the control gateway 7 compares the labels of the control buttons defined in the current avionics page 9 with the expected labels of control keys defined in the current expected page 17 of the state machine. Any expected command key label not having a corresponding label in the current avionics page 9 is not represented on the validated current page 11. However, any expected command key label having a corresponding label in the avionics page current 9 is represented on the current validated page.

The example in Fig. 6A shows that the current avionics page 9 comprises labels of the control buttons corresponding to the labels of all the control keys except L4 and R6. Indeed, only the current expected keys L14 and R16 (framed) have no corresponding elements in the current avionics page 9. Thus, the validated current page 11 transmitted to the mobile device 5 is formed without labels for the keys L14 and R16 which are considered as not actuable. Unauthorized keys are indicated in the state machine by the text "MNone".

Fig. 6B illustrates the authorization by the control gateway 7 of a page belonging to a sub-branch of the tree structure.

Certain levels or branches of the tree structure 16 are considered by the control gateway 7 to be fully authorized and do not pose any security problem. In this case, the control gateway 7 only checks the title of the current avionics page 9.

Thus, the control gateway 7 transmits to the mobile device 5 a validated current page 11 identical to the current avionics page 9 in the case where on the one hand the current expected page 17 belongs to an authorized sub-branch of the tree structure 16 and on the other hand, the title of the current avionics page 9 conforms to an expected title (boxed) by the current expected page 17.

In fact, when the control gateway 7 receives a key command from the mobile device 5 which corresponds to an authorized sub-branch, then the control gateway 7 transmits this key command to the avionic component 1 and the state engine 15 stays in the same state. Here, the operator had to press the LU key labeled "ATIMS" which indicates the label "MAuthorize" representative of a passage to an authorized sub-branch. The current expected page 17 of the state machine 15 always remains on the page which was previously sent to the mobile device 5. In response to the key command, the avionics component 1 transmits to the control gateway 7 a new page corresponding to this order. In this case, the control gateway 7 simply compares the title (here ATIMS) of the current avionics page 9 to the expected title (here ATIMS) by the current expected page 17. Then, since there is a concordance of the titles, the gateway 7 transmits the current avionics page 9 as it is to the mobile device 5. In other words, the current validated page 11 is here identical to the current avionics page 9.

Fig. 6C illustrates the transfer of a transition page from the avionics component 1 to the mobile device 5. A transition page is a page which has no command label. In other words, a transition page can be either a blank page or a page containing text not relating to command buttons.

Thus, in the case where the current avionics page 9 is a transition page comprising no command label, the control gateway 7 is configured to transmit to the mobile device 5 a validated current page 11 identical to the current avionics page 9. This provides perfect synchronization between the display on the screen of the avionics component and that of the mobile device.

Fig. 6D illustrates the blocking by the control gateway of a current avionics page not conforming to the current expected page. In fact, if the current avionics page 9 is different from the current expected page 17, the control gateway 7 is configured to transmit to the mobile device 5 a validated current page 11 in which all the command key labels indicate that the Command keys are not allowed except the return command key (boxed) which allows you to go back to the previous page. The label of an unauthorized key is indicated, for example, by a change of symbol. Here, the chevrons are replaced by sharps indicating visually to the user that the key is not accessible.

Fig. 7 schematically illustrates an avionics element comprising the control gateway, according to an embodiment of the invention.

The avionics element 21 is a system comprising a processor 23, memories 25 and transmission-reception modules 27. Advantageously, the control gateway 7 is implemented by one or more application (s) implemented by the avionics element. The applications and configuration files for tree structures are stored in the memories 25 of the avionics element 21.

Thus, the avionics element 21 is adapted to ensure secure exchange of data between on the one hand, one or more avionics components 1 and on the other hand, one or more mobile devices 5.

As a variant, the control gateway 7 can be implemented in the avionics component 1 itself.

Claims (10)

1. Control gateway intended to control a display synchronization between an avionics component (1) and a mobile device (5), said gateway (7) being configured on the one hand, to control any current avionics page (9) issued of the avionics component (1) before transmitting the controlled page, known as the validated current page (11) to the mobile device (5) so that it is displayed there and on the other hand, for checking on the basis of the validated current page (11), any key command (13) from the mobile device (5) before transmitting or not transmitting said key command to the avionics component (1). 2. Control gateway according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a state machine (15) configured to be in a current state among a set of predetermined states, said state machine being further configured to modify its current state as a function of the current avionics page (9) coming from the avionics component (1) and from the command (13) of the keys coming from the mobile device (5). 3. Control gateway according to claim 2, characterized in that said predetermined set of states is organized according to a tree structure (16) comprising a root, internal nodes and leaves, the root corresponding to at least one main group of pages, the internal nodes corresponding to secondary groups of pages, and the sheets corresponding to final actions, the current state of the state machine being called current expected page. 4. Control gateway according to claim 3, characterized in that it is configured to compare the current avionics page (9) from the avionics component (1) with the current expected page (17) of the state machine (15) and to form the validated current page (11) on the basis of this comparison, said validated current page possibly being similar to or different from the current avionics page. 5. Control gateway according to claim 4, characterized in that it is configured to compare a set of command button labels defined in the current avionics page (9) with a set of expected labels of command keys defined in the current expected page (17), any expected command key label not having a corresponding label in the current avionics page (9) not being represented on the validated current page (11) while any expected key label command having a corresponding label in the current avionics page (9) being represented on the validated current page (11). 6. Control gateway according to claim 4, characterized in that it is configured to transmit to the mobile device (5) a validated current page (11) identical to the current avionics page (9) in the case where on the one hand the current expected page (17) belongs to an authorized sub-branch of the tree structure and on the other hand, the title of the current avionics page conforms to a title expected by the current expected page. 7. Control gateway according to claim 4, characterized in that it is configured to transmit to the mobile device (5) a validated current page (11) identical to the current avionics page (9) in the case where the current avionics page is a transition page with no order label. 8. Control gateway according to claim 4, characterized in that if the current avionics page (9) is different from the current expected page (17), the control gateway (7) is configured to transmit to the mobile device ( 5) a validated current page in which all the command key labels indicate that the command keys are not authorized except the return command key. 9. Control gateway according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that it is configured to transmit the current command (13) to the avionics component if it conforms to the validated current page (11) and for do not transmit the current key command if it does not conform to the validated current page. 10. Avionics element comprising a control gateway (7) according to any one of the preceding claims. S.61982 1/9 2/9